1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more specifically to a coaxial cable connector which is integrated with the device to which the cable is to be connected. The present quick connector requires only trimming of the coaxial cable end, whereupon the cable end is inserted into the connector and manipulated to lock it in place. The cable connection process provided by the present invention needs no tools once the cable end has been prepared, and is completely reversible.
2. Description of Related Art
Coaxial cable is commonly used for carrying electromagnetic signals in various environments. Such cable generally comprises a relatively thin and lightweight conductor surrounded circumferentially by a dielectric insulating material, with a braid or screen electrical shield therearound and an electrically insulating cover covering the shielding braid.
Such coaxial cable is commonly used for the local transmission of video signals from an incoming line or signal generator (computer, etc.) for cable and satellite television receivers, computer monitors, etc. The cable ends are prepared to expose the fine concentric conductor wire therein, and are conventionally assembled with various fittings which are crimped or otherwise attached to the cable end and then installed into a cooperating fitting on the device to which the cable is to be connected.
Certain standards for compatibility of fittings, tools used for assembly, etc. have been developed over the years. However, all of the various standards of which the present inventor is aware, require various tools for the preparation of the coaxial cable end and/or fitting to be installed upon the electrical component to which the cable is to be connected, or require relatively complex assembly of various small components at the electrical component and/or cable end. These requirements result in considerable cost for the various connecting components and hardware, the tools involved (crimping tools, etc.), and also the cost of the additional time involved by the technician to assemble the fittings and install the cable.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a quick connector for coaxial cable, which includes all of the connector componentry in an integral assembly with the electrical device to which the cable is to be connected. The device must require only trimming of the cable end, with connection achieved by inserting the cut cable end into the connector.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,920 issued on Jan. 30, 1968 to Ronald C. Laudig et al., titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a relatively complex assembly for connecting two separate lengths of coaxial cable together. The Laudig et al. assembly requires that a series of components be permanently crimped in place upon each cable end, with the cable ends terminating in mating male and female connectors which are plugged together. The Laudig et al. connecting means requires considerable componentry and a relatively large amount of labor time for assembly, as well as various crimping and other tools for fabrication and assembly. In contrast, the present quick connector is provided preassembled with the electronic device at the time of manufacture, and requires no additional tools or labor for fabrication.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,489,988 issued on Jan. 13, 1970 to Luason L. Carnaghan, titled xe2x80x9cIn-Line Cable Connectors,xe2x80x9d describes a relatively complex assembly of components which are field assembled to each of the ends of two mating coaxial cables to join the cables together. A third component is used between the two cable ends, even though the two cable ends comprise male-female connector pin means. The result is a complex assembly which requires a relatively large amount of time to assemble in the field, and which is not adaptable for use in connecting a cable end to a non-cable receptacle, in any event.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,740,453 issued on Jun. 19, 1973 to John D., Callaghan et al., titled xe2x80x9cAdapter For Coaxial Cable Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a cable connector assembly comprising an F-56 connector and an adapter for connecting either relatively larger diameter RG6/U coaxial cable, or smaller diameter RG59/U cable thereto. The Callaghan et al. adapter essentially comprises a sleeve which fits into the larger diameter receptacle of the F-56 connector, to adapt the connector for the smaller diameter RG59/U cable. Both the F-56 connector and the Callaghan et al. adapter include a barbed end for working between the dielectric and the outer conductor or shield, but the use of a conventional connector by Callaghan et al. requires that the connector be crimped about the outer diameter of the coaxial cable, unlike the present assembly. Moreover, Callaghan et al. require separate attachment of the conventional F56 connector to the electrical component to which the cable is to be connected, whereas the present connector is manufactured integrally with the electrical component.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,854 issued on Jan. 12, 1988 to Randolph E. Capp et al., titled xe2x80x9cLow Profile Press Fit Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a complex assembly comprising a conventional factory formed cable end and a socket therefor, for installing on a circuit board or the like. The Capp et al. socket cannot accept a bare coaxial cable end which has been trimmed for installation, as provided by the present quick connector invention. Moreover, the Capp et al. socket is not an integral part of an electrical or cable component, but rather must be installed thereon in the field.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,943 issued on Jan. 28, 1992 to Dennis E. Tarrant, titled xe2x80x9cCATV Environmental F-Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a coaxial cable end connector assembly which is swaged or crimped in place, with an attachment nut captured on the end of the connector assembly. The crimping requirement results in tools being required for the assembly, whereas a coaxial cable can be installed in the present connector with no tools being required, other than a knife or other cutting tool for cutting back the outer cover and exposing the central conductor. Moreover, the Tarrant assembly requires a mating male threaded connector on the cable receptacle structure to which the cable is to be connected, whereas the present connector is formed integrally with the cable receptacle structure and the cable itself is devoid of specialized attachment means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,863 issued on Jun. 23, 1992 to Albert H. Frederick et al., titled xe2x80x9cSolderless Housing Interconnect For Miniature Semi-Rigid Coaxial Cable,xe2x80x9d describes an assembly having a threaded sleeve which installs in a structure to hold a coaxial cable in place. The cable must be fabricated with the appropriate components, i.e., the threaded sleeve must be installed on the cable and a retainer soldered in place (contrary to the title of the patent) on the outer conductor of the cable, before installing the cable end. The need for tools (soldering iron or gun and tool for driving the threaded retainer) result in a considerably more labor intensive installation than that achieved by the present quick connector invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,382 issued on Sep. 8, 1992 to David M. Dickirson, titled xe2x80x9cMolded Plastic Surface-Mountable Coaxial Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a socket having a plated, electrically conductive contact surface for conducting electrical energy from the outer conductor or shield of a coaxial cable, to the printed circuit board. The Dickirson connector is not manufactured as a part of the circuit board, but is assembled therewith in the field, unlike the present quick connector invention. The means for securing the cable in the Dickirson connector, i.e., engaging a circumferential port with a tab cut from the outer conductor or shielding of the cable, is unlike that used with the present coaxial cable connector invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,993 issued on Nov. 10, 1992 to Richard G. Leibfried, Jr., titled xe2x80x9cRetention Sleeve For Coupling Nut For Coaxial Cable Connector And Method For Applying Same,xe2x80x9d describes a multi-piece coaxial cable terminal assembly, involving the swaging or crimping of various components to the cable end. Leibfried, Jr. also requires that a threaded nut be installed on the assembly before finally crimping the assembly in place on the cable, thereby capturing the nut on the end of the terminal assembly. The nut is used to secure the assembly to a separate electronic device. In contrast, the present quick connector invention is an integral, permanent part of the electronic device itself, rather than being a part of the cable. The present invention does not require any additional components to be secured to the cable end, but only that the cable end be properly trimmed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,910 issued on Mar. 23, 1993 to Hideyuki Enomoto et al., titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a connector in which solder is used to bond the shielding braid of the coaxial cable to the inner surface of the tubular connector. A coupling nut is installed upon the connector before assembly of the connector to the cable. Enomoto et al. attach the cable connector means to the end of the cable, rather than to the electronic device to which the cable is to be connected, as in the present quick connector invention. The Enomoto et al. connector assembly is thus more closely related to the connector of the Leibfried, Jr. ""993 U.S. patent discussed immediately above, than to the present quick connector invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,175 issued on Mar. 12, 1996 to Ming-Hwa Yeh et al., titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Cable Connector,xe2x80x9d describes an inline connector for connecting two separate lengths of coaxial cable. The two connecting components which attach to the respective cable ends are essentially symmetrical, with a single electrically conductive contact extending therebetween. A threaded outer sleeve surrounds the conductor, with capture nuts securing each of the connectors to the threaded sleeve. An asymmetrical embodiment is also illustrated in FIG. 6 of the ""175 U.S. patent, for connecting a coaxial cable to a circuit board or the like. However, none of these devices are provided as integral components of an electrical device (VCR, cable box, television set, monitor, signal splitter, etc.) into which the bare end of a coaxial cable may be installed, as provided by the present quick connector.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,667,409 issued on Sep. 16, 1997 to Shen-Chia Wong et al., titled xe2x80x9cStructure Improvement For The Connector Of Coaxial Cable,xe2x80x9d describes a central connector element having specifically stamped inwardly protruding tabs for contact with the central conductor pins of joined coaxial cable ends. One embodiment (FIG. 9) illustrates a connector and coupling for installation to another object (circuit board, etc.), rather than connecting two cable ends together. The same points noted above in the discussion of the Yeh et al. ""175 U.S. patent are seen to apply here as well, as the two disclosures of the ""175 and ""409 U.S. patents are closely related.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,788 issued on Nov. 7, 2000 to Sang-Hyun Han, titled xe2x80x9cCable Connector And Monitor Equipped With The Same,xe2x80x9d describes a connector assembly for connecting a coaxial cable to the circuit board of a computer monitor or the like. The Han connector locks into a retaining panel by means of a capture nut, and includes a male pin for engaging a printed circuit board behind the retaining panel. The opposite end of the Han connector has a socket for receiving a cooperating pin from a previously fabricated adapter end on a coaxial cable. The Han connector requires that the cable be provided with a mating bayonet type end connector, in order to secure the coaxial cable end to the Han connector. A coaxial cable with no additional attachment means secured thereto, cannot mate with the Han connector. Moreover, the Han connector is not an integral part of the electronic device with which it is installed, as is the present quick connector invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,196 issued on Nov. 14, 2000 to Edward W. Burger et al., titled xe2x80x9cMated Coaxial Contact System,xe2x80x9d describes a connector for connecting two lengths of coaxial cable together. The Burger et al. connector requires that mating pin and socket fittings be mechanically crimped to the central conductors of the respective two cables, and that their circumferential braided shielding be soldered to a shielding sleeve of the connector. In contrast, the present quick connector requires only that the various components of the cable be cut to length, and then inserted into the connector. It should also be noted that the present connector is an integral component of the electrical device to which the cable is being connected, unlike the cable-to-cable connector of the Burger ""196 U.S. patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,297 issued on Feb. 6, 2001 to Gregory L. Kay et al., titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a device for using a coaxial cable as a conductor for hanging electrical lighting. The Kay et al. connector includes a restriction therein, which peels back the outermost cover and, braided shielding over a portion of the cable. A pair of screws are used to clamp the coaxial cable in place, with the screws penetrating the outer and inner insulation to make electrical contact with the respective underlying conductors. While no special fittings need first be applied to the cable used with the Kay et al. connector, Kay et al. do not disclose any integration of their connector with an electronic device of any sort, as provided by the present quick connector invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,298 issued on Feb. 6, 2001 to Jimmy C. Henningsen, titled xe2x80x9cConnector For Coaxial Cable With Friction Locking Arrangement,xe2x80x9d describes a cable end fitting in which a cut, bare cable end is inserted in the fitting and mating threaded components are tightened to grip the cable and exposed central conductor of the cable in a permanent installation. An attachment nut is captured on the end of the assembly, for attaching the device to an electrical component. The Henningsen device differs considerably from the present quick connector in that the Henningsen device attaches permanently to the cable end and is removably attachable to the electrical device, whereas the present connector is an integrally formed, permanent part of the electrical device and the cable is removably secured therein. Moreover, the present quick connector does not require tools for installing the cable to the connector, as required by Henningsen.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,222 issued on Apr. 3, 2001 to Arvin L. Langham et al., titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Cable Connector,xe2x80x9d describes an F-type connector (e.g., F56, etc.) for permanent installation to the end of a coaxial cable. The Langham et al. connector becomes a part of the cable, rather than being formed integrally with the electronic component at the time of manufacture, as is the case with the present quick connector. Langham et al. include a threaded nut at the end of their connector, for removably attaching their connector (and the coaxial cable end therein) to another electronic device. The Langham et al. connector requires at least a wrench, whereas the present quick connector requires no tools.
British Patent Publication No. 2,079,549 published on Jan. 20, 1982 to Christopher W. Tyree, titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Cable Connector,xe2x80x9d describes a connector assembly adapted for permanent installation to the end of a coaxial cable, rather than being an integral part of the electrical device to which the cable is attached, as is the case in the present invention. The Tyree connector includes a component which penetrates between the inner dielectric and the electrically conductive shielding thereover, as is the case with the present quick connector. However, the Tyree assembly appears to be permanently installed, as no means is disclosed for removal of the connector from the cable without damage to the cable. The present quick connector includes means for removal of the coaxial cable from the connector, as the connector is a permanent part of the electrical device to which the cable is to be connected.
International Patent Publication No. 93/10,578 published on May 27, 1993 to ITT Electromechanical Components Worldwide, titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Connector,xe2x80x9d describes another connector permanently attached to the end of the coaxial cable itself, rather than being formed as a part of the electronic device to which the cable removably attaches, as in the case of the present quick connector invention. The ITT device crimps about the folded back outer conductor braid to secure the cable within the connector, with an elongate nose and female connector extending from the central conductor of the coaxial cable. The ITT device requires extensive tooling for assembly to the cable, and means must still be provided for removable attachment of the ITT device to an electronic device.
Finally, Japanese Patent Publication No. 40-5,347,170 published on Dec. 27, 1993 to Japan Aviation Electron Ind. Ltd., titled xe2x80x9cCoaxial Connector,xe2x80x9d describes (according to the English abstract and drawings) a coaxial cable end connector for permanent installation to the end of a cable. The Japanese cable end connector essentially comprises a central contact which is secured to the central conductor of the coaxial cable, with a ferrule extending over the outer cable. The outer cover is cut back and the shielding braid is folded back over the outer cover before installing the ferrule. Tabs from the ferrule are then bent inwardly to contact the folded back shielding braid. The Japanese connector thus becomes a permanent part of the cable end and cannot be removed therefrom, rather than being an integral part of the electronic device to which the cable attaches and permitting removal of the cable, as provided by the present quick connector.
None of the above inventions and patents, either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention comprises a quick connector for coaxial cable, with the present connector being an integral part of the electronic device to which the cable is to be connected. The coaxial cable itself remains free of any connector hardware, and the installation of the cable into the connector requires only that the cable end be trimmed for proper fit. No tools are required for installing the cable end into the present quick connector.
The present quick connector comprises a housing formed as an integral part of the case or shell of the electronic component to which the coaxial cable is to be attached. A generally tubular inner body portion is permanently installed in the housing extending from the case of the electronic device. The inner body has a relatively sharp edge with a diameter substantially equal to that of the dielectric of the coaxial cable, and serves to separate the shielding braid from the dielectric by driving between the two when the cable is pushed into the connector. A collar is also permanently installed within the housing, with the diameter of the collar providing a press fit within the outer end of the housing.
The only movable component of the device, is a generally cylindrical retainer having a series of fingers extending generally axially therefrom. Each finger includes an outwardly extending ridge, forming a generally circumferential ridge series extending around the retainer. The ridges selectively engage a corresponding groove formed within the collar, which is in turn press fit into the housing. Once the coaxial cable has been trimmed as required, with the central conductor exposed, the outer cover cut back, and the shielding braid folded back over the outer cover, the cable is inserted through the open end of the retainer to engage the edge of the inner body. When the cable has been forced into the connector a sufficient depth, the cable and retainer are pulled outwardly slightly, whereupon the cable outer cover and shielding are captured between the inwardly deflected retainer fingers and inner body of the device to hold the cable in place.
The above structure also permits the cable to be withdrawn from the connector, as desired. The cable installation in the present connector is by no means permanent, unless permanent retention of the cable end in the connector is desired. Withdrawal of the cable from the connector is accomplished essentially by reversing the installation, i.e., pushing in the flange of the retainer to release the lateral pressure on the folded shielding and outer cover, momentarily pushing the cable into the connector to release the hold of the barbs of the inner body end on the cable, and then withdrawing the cable from the connector. Disconnection and reconnection of the cable from and to the connector may be made as many times as desired, with no tools being required other than cutting tools for the initial trimming of the cable end.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a quick connector for connecting a coaxial cable to an electronic device.
It is another object of the invention to form the quick connector as an integral component of the electronic device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a quick connector assembly which requires no additional structural attachments to the coaxial cable and no tools for installation or removal of the cable from the connector.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a quick connector for coaxial cable, which permits the cable to be removed and reinstalled upon the connector any number of times as desired.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.